Avenging Renegade: Hassassin's Vengeance book

Chapter 14

Ezra was a council member of the Assassin’s tribe before it burned down. A man who once believed in the code of honour and the same man responsible for humiliating Raine in front of the world tribe when she denied her oath. He was one of the first leaders of the tribe but something was mystifying about the way the hair in the back of her neck stood up when Ezra came out from the shadows.

 He wasn’t the master she remembered. A dark aura surrounded him. Like a cloud of evil following him and killing everything with a touch of his hand.

“Kayla Atarneae. You are alive.” He acknowledged. His composure relaxed and his face wiped clean from any emotions.

“What are you doing here with assassins and an arcanist?” She asked, trying to find her daggers without making it obvious. Her one dagger was still jammed into the arcanist, his body lying at her feet.

She could go for her swords but he would expect that and she can’t summon her magic because she didn’t trust him. “Observing,” Ezra answered, crouching down and picking up one of her daggers.

“Hmm. Beautiful, forged dagger. You still hunt to kill even without a council?” Ezra asked, giving her a disapproving look.

He continued when she didn’t answer. “Protecting the creatures who took you in? From when does a highly trained assassin have feelings for mythical creatures?” Ezra’s voice rose and she felt Raine’s towering rage.

Kayla gave him a curious look. “How would you know?” She asked, taking a step towards him and almost smirked when he looked uneasy. She stood in front of the body of the dead arcanist just in case he wants to attack, she can use her fell to grab the dagger and stab him. Ezra didn’t answer her question but he kept making his way around her, keeping his distance almost as if he was analysing her. He was definitely hiding something and feared that she would catch a whiff of him. He knows what she is because he knew her father in his purest form. The whole assassin tribe knew about her and Raine’s abilities when they inherited their father’s power.

Something about the way he moved made her suspicious. “Tell me, did you have a chance to see that traitorous sister of yours?”

“She’s right here,” Raine answered, emerging from the shadows.

 Ezra looked a bit shocked when he took her in.

“I’m amazed by your abilities to stay alive all these years.” He acknowledged.

“I did what I was taught. Blend in. Become one with your surroundings and use them to your advantage. I might not possess the power of a sorceress but I still have my training as an assassin.” Raine snarled at him. It took every ounce of her self-control not to attack Ezra. Kayla sensed her sister's restraint.  

Raine stood next to Kayla. Her weapons in her hands, signs of blood droplets over her but no sign of injuries. Kayla gazed over her shoulder and found Monica standing behind them, unfazed. Tough just like her brother but they need to get Monica out of here. She made Byron a promise that he will see his sister again.

“Ah, the traitor reunited with her sister.” Kayla watched Ezra twirling her dagger between his fingers and noted small black sparks of electricity crackling against the blade. Without alerting Ezra, Kayla reached for her magic when she realized that Ezra wasn’t one of them anymore. His mind was taken over by black magic.

“Does it still hurt?” Ezra asked referring to when they burned the traitor rune in Raine’s neck. The rune subsided Raine’s magic and with the mark, she is unable to use her sorceress power. Which made her a human.

Ezra threw Kayla’s dagger across the room towards Raine with a bit of his magic concealed in the blade. Kayla reached for a magic barrier, diverting his blow. Raine immediately reacted and flicked her knife at Ezra which caught him in the chest but before he went sprawling, he cast a spell that went through her barrier and stabbed Kayla in her chest.

Kayla cried out from the blow as the magic electrified her as it coiled through her veins. She hit the ground gasping for air trying to stop the black magic from travelling through her whole body. Her power felt weak as she tried to reach for it.

“Kayla! No!” Raine was crouched above her.

She reached to touch Kayla. “D-don’t touch me…ahhh!” Kayla cried out as the magic kept surging through her.

“I should have killed you when I had the chance.” She heard Ezra’s wry voice and her whole body stiffened when he referred to Raine.

Raine looked at Ezra while keeping an eye on Kayla now and again. "What happened to you? You were one of us.” Raine spat at him.

Ezra’s dark laugh jumped off the walls making her shiver. “Your father said the same thing to me before I jammed my knife through his heart. Poisoning him.” Kayla’s eyes widened while Raine’s narrowed. Anger flared in Raine’s eyes and all Kayla could think about is to stop her sister from getting hurt.

“You son-of-a-b***h!” Raine yelled, jumping up but Kayla grabbed her and pulled her back down.

“Don’t fight him. He possesses black magic.” Raine’s eyes widened. “You will lose and I can’t lose you again,” Kayla said to her sister, hoping that she would reconsider. She bit back a cry when the magic overpowered hers making every muscle in her body contract. Her body started feeling cold and soon she was going to die if they don’t get away from him.

Raine was fighting the urge of getting up and killing Ezra. Kayla saw it in her eyes. “How are we going to get out of here?” Raine asked softly.

“You forgot who and what I am.” Kayla tried to smile but the magic was beating her. “Where is Monica?” She asked.

“I’m here.” Monica’s soft voice followed before her face came into view.

“Hold onto me,” Kayla ordered both of them. She then closed her eyes and found an open pathway to Byron's mind. With a ramble of words, she got them out of the house and they appeared at Byron’s feet. Monica made a sound of distress almost choking while Raine tried to help Kayla. Byron immediately grabbed hold of his sister to comfort her.

Raine worked on removing Kayla’s cloak to see where Ezra’s magic struck her. She gasped when she saw the black marking on Kayla’s chest.

“Poison.” She muttered.

Kayla nodded. “I need you to use my dagger to make a small cut.” She ordered her sister, knowing it was the only way she could survive this.

“I’m not going to cut you! I don’t have the power to save you.” Raine almost yelled at her.

Kayla grasp Raine by her arm and pulled her up to look Raine in the eyes. “Goddammit, Raine. I am going to die if you don't! My dagger holds the power to heal me.” Edna cast a spell on all her swords and daggers if something like this ever has to happen. “You still have the power of a sorceress inside of you. Don’t deny the power you possess.” Raine gave her a dubious look but Kayla believed in her sister.

"Nobody can take it away from you. You are a sorceress. You got to believe it." Kayla mumbled releasing her sister when the magic took hold of her again. 

Raine pulled a dagger from Kayla’s arm sheath and held the point against her skin. “I will be fine.” She assured Raine.

“God, I hope so,” Kayla screamed when the blade pierced through her skin and the magic started to evaporate from her veins. She reached for her magic which killed the last big black magic lodged in her veins. “Don’t you dare die on me,” Raine ordered with a quivering voice.

Kayla tried to reach for her sister but she felt weak. “I’ll never leave you.” The world around her spun out of control before she was met by darkness.